Fountain brush



Oct. 22, 1946. c. A. NoTMAN FOUNTAIN BRUSH Filed Deo. 17,A 1942 nwENroR' Cla/'enne /Yoma/v gm Y Patented Oct. 22, 1946 FOUNTAIN BRUSH Clarence A. Notman, Detroit, Mich., assignor of Y one-half to Charles Bowles, Detroit, Mich;

Application December 17, 1942, Serial No. 469,314

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for carrying a supply of substance from which small portions may, from time to time, be separated from the supply for use as desired. The invention is particularly adaptable to what may be termed a fountain brushsuch, for example, as a tooth brush.

At the present time it is of paramount imp-or-` tance to prevent mouth diseases, particularly among those in the armed forces, and while the present invention is a personal or portable brush admirably adapted for the armed forces, the use of the device may be general among the civilian population. The general object of the invention is to provide an article such as a tooth brush which may be carried by an individual and which contains its own supply of asubstance, such as an antiseptic, and which is arranged so that small portions of the supply can be used from time to time as desired. y

It is the aim of the invention to provide a simple yet effective arrangement for holding the desired substance, and from which smallportions may be ejected, without involving numerous parts or precision parts or other mechanism `liable to get out ofA order. The arrangement is provided principally for handling a liquid substance. This liquid need not necessarily have the ilowing characteristics of water but it should be substantially iluid so that the same will readily now under the action of gravity. Some of the substance is segregated from the supply and ejected from the reservoir therefor, by the displacement principle, and this, as will be seen as the following description progresses, is accomplished by an exceedingly simple but novel arrangement which may embody but a single movable element. l

A tooth brush is selected for the purposeof illustrating the invention and in the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tooth brush constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view therethrough.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional View of the brush with the end closure pieces or caps removed and illustrating the rst step preparatory to the removal from the reservoir of a portion Yof the substance therein.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the brush in reversed position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing theV action of displacing a portion of the substance from the reservoir.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 6-64of Fig. 4 illustrating the reservoir and th plunger,

Figure '7 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 'I-T ofFig.l5.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 8--8 of Fig. 4 illustratingthev outlet passage.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional View taken on line se of Fig. 4 showing the brush head.

The brush comprises a body'or `handle portion I which is hollow so as to provide therein a reservoir 2. A brush head 3 having suitable bristles 4 is preferably detachably connected to the handle as by means of screw-thread connection 5 so that the brush head may be replaced from time to time. The brush head has a small passageway 6 in its stem'portion and when connected to the handle this passageway aligns with a passageway 'I in the handle leading from the reservoir. The inner end of the passageway 'I'may be shaped to provide a valve seat 8. f

It will be noted that the outlet passageways 6 and 1, or at least one of them, isquitesmall in cross-sectional area and indeed this may be what is termed a capillary tube, in that the liquid in the reservoir will notV gravitate through the small opening due to the friction or resistance to the now of the liquid therethrough.

A valve plunger Ill passes'into the reservoir through the end thereofY opposite the valve seat, and this valve plunger may be screw-threaded in the end of the handle as shown at I I. The valve plunger may have an enlarged knurled or roughenedl head I2 by which" it may be turned, and a lock nut I3 may be mounted upon its screwthreads. The end of the valve plunger is suitably constructed to engage theV seat 8 and close the passage I. To this Vend it may be tapered so as to provide a tapered valve member I4. V .The member I0 `has been termed avalve plunger because this element has at least two functions, namely that of a plunger or displacement means and a closure valve. l

Suitable caps or closures may be provided for detachable connection to the handle so as to cover the enlarged head I 2 of the valve plunger and to cover the brush. One such closure piece :is illustrated at I4 which may be screw-threaded or otherwise attached to the handle at I6. The particular attachment shown comprises screw-A threads. Another closure piece II is detachably connected to the brush handle by 'suitable means such as screw-threads I8 so as to cover' the brush. The closure piece or c ap I8 may have suitable; Ventilating openings I9 therein so thatV the brush may dry when not in use and the device may be 3 equipped with a clip 2D so that it may be convenf iently carried in a pocket.

This structure may be made of any suitable material and except for the clip and the brush bristles the entire structure may be made from a plastic material of which there are a number available. Some of the plastic parts may be transparent or translucent and particularly may the handle or reservoir portion be thus provided so that that supply of substance therein is visible.

The liquid substance in the reservoir, which is shown at 2 I, may be used as a supplemental antil septic in the brushing of the teeth. words, if an antiseptic is employed, the teeth may be cleaned by a paste or powder appliedy to the brush and a small amount of antiseptic used in a supplementary fashion. The substance in the reservoir may alone be used in the cleaning and brushing of the teeth. This may be leftfsomewhat to the desires of the particular users. The substance in the reservoir may, on the other hand, have cleansing properties for the cleansing of the teeth or it may combine cleansing properties with antiseptic properties. v

The manner of use, other than the actual brushing of the teeth, is illustrated in the drawing. In Fig. 2 the plunger is` positioned so `that its tapered valve portion I4 is lscrewed home against the seat 8 thus sealing the reservoir. The lock nut I3 may be tightened against the end of the reservoir handle so as to tighten the thread engagement at II to thus, seal the reservoir at this point. In this condition, with the caps applied the' device may be carried with facility. Ineorder to obtain a supply of the substance for Y use, the brush is positioned with the brush head uppermost as shown in Fig. 3 so that the liquid substance gravitates away froml the passage 'I. Therplunger is now turned so that its valve portion I4 backs off the seat so that the passages A and "I, are now open to the atmosphere. The operato-r continues to turn the plunger so -that it is retracted a distance from the valve seat and itv the liquid gravitates to the lower portion of ,the reservoir which is now at the outlet end. The small passages 6 and/or 1, however, are such that the,v liquid does notrilow out through'the same. Thejplunger is now turned on its screw-threads to advance it into the reservoir.- This ensmalls the reservoir fand tends to create a pressure therein greater than atmospheric. As a result a certainamount of the substance is forced. out through the passages 6 and 'I into the brush bristles. This is shown in Fig. 5.y This forcing of thesubstance out through the outlet passages continues until the valve portion I4 again comes to rest upon the valve seat 8.

The substance is accordingly actually ejected by a pressure action by the simple expedient of creating a gaseous pressure within the reservoir which exceeds that of atmospheric. The outlet end of. the passage may be suitably positioned to discharge the substance into or on the brush bristles as desired. In actually using the device in thisv marmer it need not be positioned vertically asshownin Figs. 3 and 4..- Itis suflicient that so that the brush head extends downwardly as shown in Fig. 4 and In other the purpose of a sealing valve.

the angle be such as to cause the liquid substance to gravitate so as to provide an air chamber in the end of the reservoir adjacent the outlet during the time the plunger is being retracted and to provide an air chamber at the opposite end of the reservoir during the time the plunger is being advanced into theV reservoir.

Thus a single movable element, in association with a rigid reservoir capable of retaining its geometric shape, provides for a positive ejection of substance from the reservoir and also serves The extent to which the plunger is retracted for the admission of air into the reservoir may depend upon the desires of the particular individual, although the device may be provided with a means for limiting the extent of retraction or for indicating the` average or proper extent of retraction. The reservoir may be refilled by removing the plunger entirely and introducing a new supply through the opening.

I claim:

1. A fountain brush for liquid substance comprising, a brush head, a hollow handle therefor constituting a reservoir, an elongatedV capillary passageway leading from one end kof the reservoir to a point adjacent the brush head, a displacement member mounted in the wall at Vthe opposite end of the reservoir for movement lengthwise in the wall so thatfit vmay be advanced into and retracted from the reservoir to ensmall and enlarge the reservoir respectively, the end of the displacement member having a valve formation thereon for seating vandclosing the reservoir end of the passageway, whereby upon retraction of the displacement member, the pas.- sageway is opened and the reservoir is Venlarged so that atmospheric air enters the same through the passageway, the lbrush adaptedk to be posi-.- tioned so that the substance gravitates tothe end of the reservoir having the joassageivam the capillary passageway offering such restri'ctionV that ther liquid substance will not ,normally iiow` therethrough, whereby upon advancement of' the,

displacement member into the reservoir, some of the substance is ejected through Vthe passageway shape, a single opening in the reservoir compris.

ing a passage leading from thevreservoir to a point adjacent the brush head, said passage being elongated and of capillary characteristicsA so thatl it offers such resistance that the liquid substance` will not normally ow therethrough, a displacement plunger in substantial alignment with the passage and threaded in avvall of the handle, said displacement plunger having a valve formation adapted to seat and close the passageway," the displacement plunger adapted to be retracted from the reservoir to open the passageway and enlarge the'reservoir capacity whereby air `enters the -reservoirgrthe displacement vplunger being adapted to be advanced into the reservoir thereby to ensmall its capacity, so that, when the brush is positioned with the passage below the levelof the substance in the reservoir, some of thesubstance is ejected out of the reservoir throughV the passage. y i CLARENCE ANOTMAISI...4 

